The Black Mercy
by Peridot Writer
Summary: Based on the episode, "For the Man Who Has Everything", what if when Diana had taken off the Black Mercy from Bruce that it had attached itself onto her. Diana doesn't wish to leave her paradise and the damage that occurs to Diana both physically and mentally is enough for it to be her undoing.
1. Attached

Attached:

"Bruce!" Diana yelled out, crawling on her hand and knees, one hand firmly gripped to her side. She was bruised beyond belief after trying to fight Mongul and she could barely move. She had saw a flash of blue and red fly over her and caught Mongul before he had killed her.

The princess of Themyscira slowly got to her feet, grunting in pain because of the effort it took. Placing a hand on her knee, she hoisted herself up to fully stand, staggering in front of Bruce. She already had a good idea of what had happened and she was more than worried on what that could do to Bruce. She had saw what it had done to Clark to cause him to get so angry but she still had a small bit of hope that the Black Mercy didn't attach itself to Batman yet.

When she finally made her way in front of him, the hope was completely shattered. Seeing the smile on his face, she knew she would be breaking him. But knowing that it wasn't on him that long, she figured that it wouldn't cause as much damage as it did to Superman.

She clutched onto one of the plants tentacles, trying to rip it off of him. She called out his name once and when she tried to get through to him, she had some part of the plant off. "BRUCE!"

It took several more minutes until the monster plant finally came off. Diana stumbled back, wincing as the tentacles wrapped around her arms. She fell to the ground, rolling onto her back. She struggled so that the tongue wouldn't attach to her. Twisting and turning her head, she tried not to get caught.

The raven haired woman grunted, trying to get out of the grip as the plant finally attached itself around her. Her eyes became blank as she laid there, staring up at the ceiling but seeing nothing and hearing nothing.

…

Diana was on Themyscira, her feet in the water and her back towards the setting sun. A brilliant smile was plastered on her beautiful face as she felt the warm summer evening breeze, ruffling her raven hair slightly. She closed her eyes, enjoying the sand underneath her feet and the water crashing around her ankles in small waves.

She felt arms wrap around her and she caught that familiar scent she loved so much. "Hello Bruce," she muttered softly, leaning back to put her head on the muscular chest.

"Good evening princess," he whispered in her ear, gently kissing her temple. Diana closed her eyes in complete bliss, smiling wider if that was even possible. "You look stunning in that dress," he muttered and smiled.

Diana felt her cheeks turn a light pink and she shrugged. She turned around, looking at him. He was wearing a white t-shirt with some old jeans. "You don't look half bad yourself," she teased.

Bruce Wayne smiled and leaned down, gently kissing her. "I love you princess," he breathed out and the daughter of Hippolyta smiled.

"You better love me or you'll be kicked out of this island faster than you can say Hera… You're lucky my mother let you stay."

"Very lucky indeed," he murmured softly against her lips and kissed her once more.

…

"DIANA!" Bruce struggled with the plant, Clark doing the same.

"Why isn't it coming off?!" Superman asked, using all his strength. It came off slightly but then just snatched itself back on. "Come. On. Diana!"

She winced slightly but made no other way of showing that she was responding or was at least, strong enough to respond. Superman used his heat vision and several other things. He tried using freeze breath to freeze it and then smash it.

"Clark! Stop! You're going to hurt her!" Bruce held him back. "It's digging into her flesh. She was hurt while fighting Mongul and you're just going to injure her more. Stop."

Superman looked at the Dark Knight. "What exactly happened to her?"

"While the plant was putting you in a fantasy land, Diana was fighting for her life against Mongul," Bruce said and tried to pull the plant off. "Come on Diana. Come back princess." He stared into her non seeing eyes, cupping her face with his gloved hand gently. "Diana. Come back to me," he muttered softly.

"Bruce, we should bring her to the infirmary in the watch tower. We can't leave her here. We have to treat her injuries. They're not healing which is strange. Her healing should have kicked in by now."

Just as Clark stated this, Bruce took notice of this and worry began to swim in his eyes under his cowl. "Dang it! Diana! Snap out of it!"

Superman gently picked up the Amazon, placing her into the Invisible Jet. "Bruce, stay with her. Make sure that she continues to breathe. If anything happens, tell me," he ordered and took off.

The Dark Knight stayed back, holding onto Diana's hand. He started to talk quietly to her. "Come on Diana, you can fight it. I know you can. You're the strongest woman I know," he kept muttering. He knew that even if he talked low, that the Man of Steel could still hear him with his super hearing. "You'll be alright. You can fight it."

Clark smirked to himself, knowing that the Dark Knight was finally letting his walls break down, his cold mask slipping and falling. No one but Diana could do that to him. "Why am I not surprised?" He asked himself.

"What was that?" Bruce asked, snapping his head up.

"Oh nothing. I was just talking to myself. By the way, thanks for the cash Bruce."

Under the cowl, the playboy simply rolled his eyes. He had completely forgot that it was Clark's birthday. As he thought about the presents that Diana and Bruce had offered Clark, he realized that he hadn't put much thought into the present. Diana had put much effort in even though the present was simply a flower. He knew that Superman appreciated her gift.

Bruce looked at the plant that was still attached to Diana's chest. He tried to pull it off but once more failed. He sighed heavily and closed his eyes. "Dang it Diana. Pull through for us! Stop this! You can do it! You can…" He closed his eyes, putting his forehead on hers. "You can do it princess."


	2. Ideas

Ideas:

Diana settled into bed, sighing softly as she put her back onto the soft bed. She went onto her side, smiling softly as Bruce wrapped his arms around her from behind. He kissed her temple and the feeling of his hot breath on her ear caused her to shiver pleasantly.

She felt herself being placed onto her back and the Princess glanced up at the playboy. Bruce smirked down at her and kissed her softly and passionately. She gladly returned the kiss with just as much heated passion. "Bruce…?" She asked softly.

The black haired man looked down at her. "What is it princess?" He questioned, leaning down and brushing his lips on hers. She didn't respond, just giving a slight shiver of desire as she captured his lips with hers once more. After another heated kiss, she backed away, her blue eyes staring into his. He saw Bruce's eyes darken with lust and want.

"Nevermind," she muttered and chuckled. "You are the only one who is allowed to touch me like that without me punching you in the face," she whispered, feeling strong yet gentle hands moving down her body.

Bruce Wayne smirked. "I know princess. I know. That's because…" He leaned down, pecking her lips. "You're mine and mine only."

Diana smirked and kissed back gently. She shivered slightly, a cold wave flowing through her. Bruce wrapped his arms around her more, trying to make her warm and he wrapped the covers around the two, kissing her temple.

"You know what might feel great right about now?" He asked in her ear. Diana arched a perfect eyebrow, looking into his blue eyes. "A nice hot bath… Just you and me. Perhaps warm you up a bit. You're cold."

"I'm fine Bruce," she smirked. "But a bath does sound great right about now," she whispered.

Bruce got off the bed, picking Diana up bridal style and heading towards the bathroom. He set her down and the two got undressed. Diana hesitated and Bruce picked her up again, setting her down in the water as he got in himself. Diana leaned against him, her head on his shoulder. She smirked slightly when she felt gentle kisses on her neck and she closed her eyes in complete bliss.

…

Wally quickly entered the infirmary. "Why did you call me down so suddenly? What happened?" H asked. He had heard the urgency in his teammates voices and he didn't know what happened. He saw Diana and his eyes widened under his mask. "What happened to Di? What is that thing?" He inquired, gesturing to the plant that was still attached firmly to the princess' chest.

"It's called a Black Mercy," the Dark Knight responded back swiftly. "It gives you your heart's desire and it weakens you as it does so. It was attached to both me and Clark. I got it off of Clark and it attached to me. Diana got it off of me and now… Well, you know," he muttered, staring hopelessly at the unresponsive and still smiling Wonder Woman who was laying on a bed in the infirmary. "She doesn't respond. We don't know what to do. And yes Flash, we have tried ripping it off of her. It didn't work," Bruce responded to the unasked question to Flash.

Flash looked down at the plant which was still plastered on his friend's chest. "Do you know a way to actually get it off?"

"No, we don't Wally," came the quiet answer from Clark. "We were hoping that one of you would know. We were going to turn to J'onn. Where is he anyway?"

Flash sighed softly. "Well, you're not going to see him until his mission is done which would probably be in about a week or so. John had left with Shayera to help people with an earthquake... I'm here but I'm not much help. I could get Dr. Fate or something," he finally suggested.

Bruce nodded. "Get everyone who could possibly know how to get rid of this creature," he snarled, spitting out the word as if it was a disgusting liquid he had just consumed. Flash nodded and disappeared within a split second. He came back about a minute later and sighed.

"Dr. Fate is out on a mission. I brought Atom as well as Zatanna. Perhaps they could help."

"Well, where are they?" Superman asked, arching an eyebrow when he didn't see the two teammates come forward.

"They're coming. I did race ahead anyways," he responded back. "Who else do you think could possibly be of help?" He inquired, his mind racing through every single possibility.

"Raven," came the swift reply from Bruce. "I'll have to ask Robin if I could use her for a couple of days. She can perhaps do something. It's the best we got. I could also try to find others to help."

"Anyone else?" The Man of Steel questioned, looking down at the Caped Crusader. He shook his head.

"No, I got nothing else. That's all we have at the moment. I could ask Cyborg to come and help and if push comes to shove… We might just have to go and ask…" He grimaced slightly. "Mongul. Maybe even Lex Luthor."

Hawkgirl flew in. "Why are you deciding to go and ask two of the worst villains out there?" She questioned, raising an eyebrow under her mask. Bruce backed away so that Shayera had a clear sight of Diana.

Even though Shayera and Diana had not been good friends since the Thanagarian attack, she still felt horrible that the princess was in this state. She didn't know who to turn to if Diana wouldn't wake up or anything like that. She didn't know how she would get her frustration out if people were to annoy her like they usually did. She needed the training sessions, to get out her anger and her frustration on the Amazon warrior. She didn't even ask them what it was, just deciding to use the nyth metal mace to whack it off.

"Shayera! Don't!" Clark yelled, grabbing her mace before she could do anything. "That'll hurt her more than anything. Probably smash into her chest if you're not careful. The plant won't let go. I can't even get it off. That mace is not the answer."

The redhead sighed and nodded. She stared down at her friend. "We just need to find a way," she muttered.


	3. Paradise for One

Paradise:

"Do you honestly think that Lex Luthor, out of all people, would be willing to actually help us?" Clark asked, completely shocked that Bruce actually wanted to contact him.

"We have no other choice Kent," he snapped back at the Man of Steel, punching in something into the monitor. "We tried Zatanna, Dr. Fate, Cyborg, Raven, and even Etrigan. We have nothing!" He yelled out.

"And what exactly are you going to do if Lex can't help us?"

Bruce pondered the answer, thinking of who could actually help. He sighed. "We go to Themyscira and ask Hippolyta for help. Maybe she can help push Diana into reality and escape what the Black Mercy is putting on her."

"Don't you think that after this, Hippolyta might want her back to Themyscira? Even if she was exiled, she is still Hippolyta's daughter and when she finds out about this, she will probably not want her to remain in the Man World," he explained.

"At least she'll be alive and safe," the Dark Knight snarled. "That's all that matters," he added under his breath. He knew that Clark would hear him with his super hearing but he really didn't care anymore. He just needed Diana alive and safe. Even if he would never see her again, it would still give him a clear head that she was safe. It would take a weight off his shoulders.

Superman hesitated before an idea came to him. "Maybe J'onn can try to get inside, try to contact her."

"We did do that," came a familiar voice from behind. Martian Manhunter walked over to the two superheroes. "I had nothing to work with. I was not able to enter her fantasy."

"Did you find out what her fantasy was about though?" The Man of Steel inquired.

J'onn nodded ever so slightly. "She's with Batman on Themyscira… That is all I know. That was all I was able to get."

Clark turned around when he heard footsteps retreating and he saw the Caped Crusader retreating. He didn't know if he was leaving because he had enough information or because he was upset that Diana's heart's desire was him and that he could probably never be the person that Diana truly wanted.

…  
Diana woke up slowly, the sun shining in her face from the open window. She felt arms around her waist and she smiled to herself, breathing in the scent she loved that Bruce gave off. She didn't remember opening the window but considering that last night, the room had gotten extremely warm, she figured that he must have opened it.

"You're finally awake Princess?" Came the soft and low voice from behind. Startled from the sudden sound, Diana jumped slightly, causing a chuckle to escape from her lover's throat. "Sorry," he muttered. "I didn't mean to surprise you." He let go of her and turned her on her back gently, getting on top of her.

A pleasant smirk formed on Diana's lips. "Well, it was a pleasant surprise however," she whispered. She looked up at him, taking in all of his features, including the new one which was the small amount of stubble on his cheeks and chin. She moved her thumb across it.

"I know I need to shave Princess, no use pointing it out," he whispered.

Diana rolled her eyes and smirked, sitting up and stretching slightly. She had one of the best night sleeps of her life and she knew why she did. The princess stood up, having a slight pain in her neck by the way she slept but nonetheless ignored it entirely. "I'm going to go take a shower," she murmured softly. "I'll see you in a bit."

"And I will miss every single second," Bruce smiled gently at her. Diana couldn't help but blush at that. She simply nodded and left the room.

After the shower and after breakfast, Diana and Bruce were taking a small stroll in the garden when they came across Hippolyta. Her face was stern, her mouth in a straight line. "Diana, I need to talk to you. Bruce, if you could be so kind," she said, a slight bit of hatred in her voice.

Diana knew that Hippolyta didn't really accept the fact that Diana was with Bruce but she knew that she can find a way to get that through Hippolyta's thick skull and make her be happy for her daughter. Bruce nodded, "of course," he whispered and left the two alone. Diana sighed.

"Mother, I'm sure whatever the emergency is, if there is one, that Bruce can be a part of it. He can help."

Hippolyta shook her head. "We just need to see how you'll look in your new wedding dress," she smiled. Diana blushed a deep red.

"What do you mean new wedding dress?"

"Did he not ask you yet?"

"Ask me what?"

"To marry him."

…

"So you really think that asking Lex Luthor would actually make a difference? He'll do more harm than good Bruce! You know that?" Clark sat down across from Bruce as the remaining teammates sat down together at the table.

The Flash sighed. "We already tried everyone else Superman. Who else is there to try? We did everything we could. We can't snap her out. I think it's time for us to contact her mother. Maybe they can get her back to reality."

"That is out of the question!" The Dark Knight responded quicker than he would have liked. "She might not trust us anymore. Yes, she might get Diana back to reality but… She could take her away from me… I mean, us," he cleared his throat, looking down at the table.

"But at least she would be safe," J'onn cut in. "It may not be what we want but we also want her safe. What is better? Her safe but at Themyscira or her barely alive and here? Not responding to anything and making us worry?"

Bruce pondered the ideas and gave up. "Alright, fine. Shayera, you'll come with me and head to Themyscira with Diana," he muttered and stood up, walking out of the room.

The six teammates stared at each other, exchanging looks as the Caped Crusader left.

"What's down his pants?" Wally muttered.


	4. Important Update: Please Read

UPDATE:

Hello everyone! I'm sorry for all the time that I am taking to update this story but the thing is that I don't really have much time to update. I'm really trying here guys and I'm writing the chapters out or part of the chapters out each day so a little more patience will be much appreciated.

However, I'm debating whether or not I should delete this story because of all the other stories I have to continue. Or maybe I'll just end this story quickly or delete it or if you guys wish, I'll continue the story, however, there will be delays in between chapters because I got other stories to do which is actually quite idiotic of me. So please let me know on what you want me to do guys and this will be posted on all my stories except for the new one, "Sleepless", so just let me know which stories you think are weak and which ones I should continue and keep or just straight out delete. Thanks for your support! Please review :)


	5. Ripped Away

Coughs racked through the princess' body as she laid in bed, a fever causing her head and most of her body to ache. "How are you feeling?" Diana heard her mother's voice come as the blonde entered the room.

"Fine I guess. I mean, if that doesn't include almost every part of my body screaming in pain," she joked, "I'm just fine." Diana sat up slowly but Hippolyta walked over and gently pushed her back down.

"You're not sitting up Diana. YOu need to get your strength up and wasting it when you're not feeling well is just stupid if you ask me. Anyways, I don't think Bruce would ask your hand in marriage when you're sick to avoid getting himself sick," Hippolyta chuckled, earning a glare from Diana but still a small smile.

"Mother, I won't get him sick… Well, not badly. It's just a little cold, Mother. Nothing more."

Hippolyta sighed, sitting down at the edge of the bed. "I don't think heaving up everything that you ate today is a 'little' cold, Diana."

"Mother-," Diana started, only for Hippolyta to shake her head.

"You're not leaving this room and Bruce is not seeing you until you feel better, understood? I don't want the whole island getting sick."

The Princess sighed, defeated. "Alright," she muttered, "I'll keep the doors locked but he does know other ways to get in."

"Well we knew other ways to keep him out," Hippolyta smirked.

Diana watched as her mother left and locked the doors to her chambers. She cursed under her breath in her Greek tongue, shaking her head.

Laying down and going on her side, she closed her eyes, trying to fall asleep. Her mind wandered off, half asleep until the sound of footsteps came through, waking her up a bit.

"Princess?" Came the all too familiar voice of Bruce's.

Diana slowly went on her back, keeping her eyes closed still for a little while longer. "Mmmm?" She let out softly from the back of her throat, her striking blue eyes opening slightly and staring into Bruce's own blue ones.

"How are you feeling?" He asked as he headed inside.

"How did you get in?" She countered back, leaving the question unasked and causing a smile to form on Bruce's face. She arched an eyebrow, waiting for her answer.

"I have my ways," he responded vaguely as he closed the door and locked it, sitting on the bed. He was wearing a nice white shirt with jeans and black shoes.

"That's what I told my mother but she didn't believe me," Diana whispered softly before a round of coughs came through. She hunched over and Bruce placed a hand on her back gently, moving it up and down the length of her back.

"Easy Princess," he whispered and placed a kiss on her temple, giving her some water. "Here, take this," he said.

Diana took a couple of long sips of water before placing the cup down. "A lot of people underestimate me," Bruce suddenly said as he placed the back of his hand on his love's forehead. "You're warm," he stated simply, moving the hand to her pink cheek.

"Where are you going?" The Amazon inquired as Bruce got to his feet to leave.

"To get some cold wet cloths to help bring down your temperature. It's too high," he clarified. "I'll be right back. Try to get some rest Princess." He placed a small peck on her forehead before exiting the room, leaving a satisfied princess in the bed.

Diana smiled slightly and closed her eyes, falling into a peaceful sleep.

 **WatchTower**

"J'onn, has anything change?" Clark asked as he entered the room where Diana was, seeing that her blue eyes were still wide open, the smile on her face.

"She's growing warm. Her skin is open several places where the plant is inserted and it's starting to grow infected. This is starting to cause a fever and since her body is completely defenseless at the moment, this infection will spread quickly and can even kill her for that matter."

Diana let out a small grunt like sound, catching the two hero's attention. "Diana?" Clark asked, walking over as he saw some sweat form on the Princess' forehead.

There was no response from her or a single movement.

"You heard that, didn't you?" Clarked asked as he looked over at J'onn. A simple nod was enough for Superman. "J'onn, try to get into her mind. Try to read it."

"She may not like that," J'onn countered.

"I don't care at the moment, J'onn! It's to help her! That's it! We're not harming her!'

"We're evading into her mind Clark. I will not do that to a friend."

"But what if we find some things that just might be able to help her get out of this?"

"It doesn't matter. I won't do it. Only when that is the only option left and at the moment, it is not time. Do you understand?"

"Then what can help her?"

"We will see," he answered simply.

"That's not a good enough answer!" Clark retorted suddenly. "Our friend could be at a risk of dying! I'm not going to sit back and watch! Not if there's something we can do!"

"You're not going to Superman. We will find a solution."

"When?"

J'onn hesitated before answering as honestly as he could. "Eventually." It wasn't completely truthful and both knew that but it wasn't completely false either. He was hoping that they would get the answer and get the Black Mercy off of her before anything more was to occur.

"What do we do now?"

"We wait."

The door opened and the two looked over their shoulders, seeing Bruce walk in with Hippolyta. "Why is she here?" Clark asked, growing worried that Hippolyta will return Diana back to Themyscira with her once she saw her daughter in this condition.

"Because she has the right to know," Bruce said simply, glowering at him. "She's her daughter. It doesn't matter what is happening. Her daughter is hurt."

Hippolyta walked forward, staring at the plant firmly attached to Diana's chest. "Some time alone please," she whispered and the three left. Clark left a bit reluctantly.

The queen walked over to her daughter, taking out a small but very sharp dagger that was made by Hephaestus himself. She took it out from her robes and stabbed it into the plant, ripping half of it off. Sweat rolled down her forehead as she stabbed the creature again and again. Diana suddenly let out a scream, being ripped away from her personal paradise as the plant fell to the ground, wiggling in a pathetic attempt to get away. Clark raced inside and grabbed it, placing it in a container. Blood rolled down from Diana's wounds, her eyes closed tightly from the pain.

"Diana, are you alright?" Clark asked, ignoring the footsteps behind him as Bruce and J'onn entered. Clark placed a hand on his friend's cheek, only for it to be slapped away from the queen of the Amazons.

"You do not get to touch her! Not after everything happened! I'm bringing her back to Themyscira and you're not going near her, nor is she coming back to Man's World ever again."

"But isn't she exiled?" The Man of Steel inquired, watching as Hippolyta picked up her daughter.

Bruce wanted to go over and take Diana out of her mother's arms, wanting to argue with her but he knew that she had every right to be concerned about her daughter and to do what she felt was best for her. He knew he had no right to intervene with her.

"It doesn't matter. The Gods are nothing compared to the cruelty of the world you protect," she snarled and walked over to Bruce. "Take us back to Themyscira."

 **In Diana's Head**

Diana tossed and turned in bed, sweat rolling down her body as she held her chest. She let out a scream, pain exploding throughout every inch of her body.

"Princess, are you alright?" She heard a voice come as the door opened entirely to her chambers. Bruce entered the room, seeing all the sheets on the floor, the windows wide open in a desperate attempt to cool herself down.

The Amazon Warrior shook her head. "N-no. It hurts. Everything hurts." Normally she would do her best to try to not show any kinds of weakness but this was the worst pain she had ever experienced before. She let out another scream and Bruce sprinted over, gently pushing her down and wrapping his arms around her, wishing he could take her pain away.

"Diana, just relax," he soothed. "It'll be over. Everything will be fine. It'll pass and it will all go back to normal. I promise you Princess."

The Amazon nodded slowly, trying to ignore it as another pain came through. She felt something stop in her chest as she closed her eyes, her breathing stopping as she felt peace sweep over her. She heard yelling from Bruce and felt herself being shook but both faded to an ever so small point. A small breath came out of her parted lips as she slowly moved to a much more peaceful place.


	6. Rest In Peace My Little Sun And Stars

Summary: Based on the episode, "For the Man Who Has Everything", what if when Diana had taken off the Black Mercy from Bruce that it had attached itself onto her. In a desperate attempt to get the plant off, Bruce and Superman injure the already hurt Wonder Woman in an attempt to get the Black Mercy off of her and for her to escape the fantasy. The damage that occurs to Diana both physically and mentally is enough for it to be her undoing.

 **Disclaimer: I do not own Justice League or any of its characters and plots. This is simply for entertainment purposes. All rights belong to Warner Bros.**

Bruce stared blankly at the wall in a room at Themyscira. They had managed to get the plant off of Diana but at what cost? 'Her life,' he thought bitterly. 'They took her life…' He then shook his head, mentally correcting himself. ' _He_ took his life… He was the one who… Who…' He couldn't complete his thoughts, feeling tears prick the back of his eyes and burning them slightly, a lump forming in his throat. He desperately tried to swallow it but with no success.

Hippolyta was with her daughter in another room, praying silently by her side as tears quickly rolled down her cheeks from the lost of her one and only child. They hadn't made it in time back to Themyscira. It had came suddenly. Hippolyta had gotten the wounds to stop their bleeding but she was just gone. There was no way of stopping it for it was too late when they knew that something was terribly wrong. They both knew it.

The Queen of the Amazons and the mother of the champion rose slowly, wiping away her tears as she regained her poster, her mask slowly going on like it usually did when she was speaking to someone in her kingdom. It was no longer the mother who had just lost her child but rather a queen that chose not to acknowledge the fact that someone important had left her life.

Hippolyta simply felt better when she pulled on that facade in front of everyone. Her eyes held sadness for the loss but displayed nothing more. "Your highness," came in Philippus. "Are you-?" She was cut off by a hand lifted up by the blonde.

"Go alert our sisters that our champion has fallen," she whispered softly and Philippus immediately nodded, her eyes saddening at the lost of a sister. A great sister.

"Right away," she nodded and headed off.

The whole island started to prepare, working on her coffin and the funeral session. All of them seemed to work slowly than they normally did, sadness and grief in each one of the Amazon sisters.

While they continued, Bruce started to stand up, grabbing his mask from the table next to him for he had taken it off. He didn't bother to put it back on, not really feeling the need to at the moment. "May I speak with her?" He inquired as he walked up to Hippolyta, his lump catching in his throat as he looked over at the closed door to where Diana was lying.

She glanced up at him, scowling until she saw the obvious pain and sorrow in his blue eyes, her own softening. She nodded. "Go ahead," she murmured before stepping away and leaving.

Bruce stood there for a solid minute, his stomach twisting painfully. He couldn't help but feel that this was entirely his fault. She had gotten the plant off of him and it inserted itself onto her. It was his fault. He was too weak to go against it. He should have tried to fight harder, should have helped get it off of her quicker. Perhaps that would have made a difference but he wasn't entirely certain.

Eventually gathering enough courage, he slowly opened the door to her chambers, walking inside slowly, the only sounds were his footsteps and the waves crashing on the shore. He kept his head down, not wanting to see Diana as his heart beat in his chest. He felt every beat and it reminded him that his was beating while hers… Was not.

"Diana…" He murmured as he kneeled next to the bed, taking off his gloves and placing them next to him, finally looking up. The image made him sick. There were wounds where the Black Mercy had inserted itself into her. She was pale, bruises on her neck. Her eyes were closed and Bruce took in a shaky breath. A tear fell down his cheek and another one. Then came a string of tears as his body shook with silent cries for his fallen comrade. He never cried. The only time he did was after his parent's deaths. Never for anyone else.

He was stupid. He had figured that he would eventually come up with some way of telling her but no. He simply pushed her away. She had tried and tried, hoped to break his walls down but to no avail. Shutting his eyes tightly, he pushed away the tears. No more would fall for her; he had given enough. Slowly standing, he placed a gentle kiss on her cold forehead before turning away, not looking back. He got into the Javelin and left the island, not looking back as his heart slowly went back into the dark shadows that always surrounded him.

The Princess of Themyscira stood in the middle of a completely white room, looking around. "Hello?" She called out, moving forward slowly before she stopped, seeing a figure appear in front of her and then another one. She then bowed, realizing that it was Aphrodite and Hera.

"Rise," came Hera's voice and Diana looked up at the two, standing slowly, completely confused.

"Where am I?" She finally asked as she stared at the two.

The two didn't answer and Hera walked next to her champion, placing a hand behind her back and leading her out of the room. There was Themyscira but even more beautiful if that was even possible. Her sisters were there as well as her mother. "Paradise," Aphrodite murmured. "You fell during battle," she explained. "You're in Paradise… And this is where you're going to spend the rest of eternity in…"

Diana broke into a brilliant smile as she looked around the island. She then paused, worried about her friends. "What about Batman and Superman?" She inquired, looking up at the two goddesses.

"They're both fine," Hera responded simply. "Neither of them were hurt badly. Now go my child. Enjoy your paradise…" She said and a door appeared in front of the three. Diana took a step towards it as it swung open. Not saying anything else, she walked through and the door disappeared behind her.

She stepped down and her feet went under the soft, warm sand on the beach and the waves went around her ankles. She looked around. This was truly paradise and unlike what the Black Mercy had shown her, this was all real and it was going to last forever. She smiled and closed her eyes happily, letting the breeze ruffle her raven curls. She finally felt at peace.

*****  
"No, she can't be dead!" Came in Flash's voice as he appeared in front of Bruce.

After leaving Themyscira, he had announced to the League that Diana was gone when he entered the Watchtower. Everyone was talking to each other, some spreading rumors while others quickly told the truth as to what had actually happened.

Booster Gold walked in, his arms folded over his chest. "Alright, enough with the pranks, Bats. Where's Wonder Woman?" He asked, his eyes narrowing behind his glasses.

"Gone," came the rasped voice of the Dark Knight himself.

"No," he laughed, "she's not. She wouldn't have been killed by a simple plant thingy…"

"You don't know the whole story Gold," came in Clark's voice as he walked over. His voice was pained but he decided to keep the tears until later. "All you know is about the plant… She had been fighting Mongol before the plant attached itself on her… She was weakened in battle that led to this," he sighed as he explained.

Booster looked around at the three groups of superheroes, suddenly feeling horribly embarrassed and stupid. "O-oh," he whispered, sadness starting to flow in. "I-I'm sorry. I didn't know. The thing is-."

"We announced to the League that she was just injured and that everything would be fine not to cause chaos. Of course, some people got some peaks here and there and rumors started to spread," Bruce sighed as he remained seated, his head in his hands. He had his cowl back on, not wanting anyone to see the sorrow and pain his sharp blue eyes.

"We can give her a proper funeral, can't we?" Flash asked suddenly, looking over at the gloomy superhero.

"No," he admitted. "We can't even do that. Hippolyta, her mother won't even let us on the island to collect her body. I asked before I left," he lied. He didn't want this to turn into a whole ordeal even though he knew more than anything that she deserved it. She deserved more than anyone else in the League. After everyone left, he was going to see if he could get in contact with her gods and see if he could find a way to bring her back. The world wasn't ready to lose Wonder Woman. They weren't ready to lose just a great person. Neither was he or the rest of the League and everyone knew that.

"Go and tell everyone that we will have a day to remember her and see who can take her place," Superman whispered to Wally and the Scarlet speedster nodded before disappearing with a red streak following. "You too Gold," he muttered when Booster Gold was going to ask. He nodded and went off.

"We're not going to replace her. No one is good enough to take her place," Bruce growled out through clenched teeth as he quickly pulled off his cowl, fury swimming in his eyes as he stared down Clark. "No one is going to replace her! I'll find a way to get her back!"

"I know no one can replace her but we need someone to…" Clark sighed. "And how are you so certain that we can get her back? That you can get her back?" He inquired, arching an eyebrow as he looked at him. He then chuckled softly, shaking his head.

"What's so funny?" Bruce asked, growing more irritated and frustrated as Clark started to laugh at an unacceptable time.

"That we all have black hair and blue eyes," he chuckled. "You're right… No one can take her place," he whispered as he put his elbows on the table. "No one can… She's the heart and soul of the League and thinking that we can just replace her just like that… God, how stupid am I?" He asked himself. "We all have black hair and blue eyes," he whispered to himself in thought, never actually noticing that until now. It was the little things that made the Trinity so amazing. The minor things that all made up the major ones.

Bruce, not having time with his stupidity stood up and quickly left, appearing in the Batcave as he left the laughing Superman there, knowing that he was drunk with sadness over the loss of his friend but he had no time to comfort him, to try to bring him back to sanity.

If he was going to find the gods again, he was going to need some help. "Batman to Zatanna," he muttered as he pressed his finger to his comm link.

"What is it?" Came the tired reply from the magician. He knew that he had just woken her up but at the moment, he couldn't care less. Someone's sleep was going to be sacrificed in order to get Diana out of her eternal one.

"Do you know how to get to Tartarus?"

Hippolyta slowly gathered her daughter's body in her arms. Her Amazon sisters had dressed the Princess in her best garments as they finished the beautiful gold coffin with two red W's in the middle of it. They opened the coffin slowly as Hippolyta approached, her queen facade dropping as tears welled up in her eyes and spilled down her cheeks as she stared at the pale face of her child. "I'm sorry I couldn't protect you," she whispered to Diana gently, pressing a kiss to her forehead.

Inside the coffin was silk blue to outline the wood. The pillow inside was also blue and two red W's on that as well. As she placed her in the casket, they closed it and three Amazons on each side hoisted it up on their shoulders before bringing the Champion to her final resting place. It was right near the beach where she enjoyed going to when she was younger. She would usually drag Hippolyta there but if her mother was busy, she would go and bug her Amazon sisters. Even as she grew, it was still her favorite place to be.

Standing at the foot of the grave, she watched as the coffin was lowered down in the freshly dug hole as it started to rain, grief filling the whole island for their beloved sister and princess. Things had changed ever since Diana had been exiled but that still didn't mean that they didn't miss her. Everyone had been waiting for her to come back, always having hope but that day, the hope had been entirely shattered.

The Queen watched as dirt was placed on top of the coffin and she sighed softly. "I hope you rest in peace, My Little Sun and Stars."


	7. Return

Summary: Based on the episode, "For the Man Who Has Everything", what if when Diana had taken off the Black Mercy from Bruce that it had attached itself onto her. In a desperate attempt to get the plant off, Bruce and Superman injure the already hurt Wonder Woman in an attempt to get the Black Mercy off of her and for her to escape the fantasy. The damage that occurs to Diana both physically and mentally is enough for it to be her undoing.

 **Disclaimer: I do not own Justice League or any of its characters and plots. This is simply for entertainment purpose. All rights belong to Warner Bros.**

 **NOTICE: This chapter can only be uploaded when it was uploaded due to a friend by LOTSlover. Check out her stories if you haven't already. They are positively fantastic and I highly recommend them. She helped me write this chapter. I will also like to thank everyone who was here with me throughout the story. Thank you for the continued support. You guys are amazing! I can't thank you guys enough! This is a reupload. I fixed a couple of things because the last ending was rushed. Sorry about this, guys. I didn't change much. All I did was add some things to the end. That was all. Not that much of a change but hopefully sufficient enough to end the story nicely.**

"How could this happen?" Shayera sat down, holding her head in her hands. "She's… Gone… Just like that?" Even though Diana and Shayera had their differences way more than once, Shayera still cared about her like a sister. She still loved her and she had understood completely why Diana was so hesitate to accept her once again. She had been betrayed more than once and it had been by people so close to her. She had been betrayed by her mother and then her friend. She supposed that it only made sense for the Amazon to put her walls up. Still, it shocked her that she was still gone. It was too much to process.

Bruce nodded simply, tears in his eyes. He was grateful for the cowl so they wouldn't see how he was practically breaking right then and there. But he was determined to bring her back. He would do anything so that she would know that he cared so much about her. He wanted to see her eyes light up one more time instead of them being filled with pain like he last saw her. He knew the smile was fake, much like the paradise she had been put in.

If he knew that he could hurt Mongol and get away with it, he would do more than hurt him. There were only two people he despised more than anyone else. They both took important people from him. He had lost his parents to a young punk with a gun. That's all he was. Maybe killing and stealing was some sick thrill he got out of. The thought made him even angrier.

And then there was Mongol… He had taken away his princess. No, she wasn't his. She never truly his because he forbade it. He insisted that dating on the team would only lead to problems but the only two biggest problems were caused by him. The guilt he felt that she might never know the love he so desperately wanted to give her and the guilt that she had left, thinking that Bruce didn't like her in that way. He did like her… He loved her and far more than that. He had wanted to do so many things with her but now, he wouldn't have the chance.

"Bats, where are you going?" Came the small voice from Flash as he watched the Dark Knight stand up slowly. His voice was weak and somber, so unlike the normal Wally West.

"I'm going to see if I can bring her back," he whispered.

"You might get killed!" Superman started. "You can't just expect to go up there and ask for Diana back and live! That absurd! That's-!"

"The only choice we have left, Clark. And if you want to go on living with the thought that she could have been saved, then be my guest. But I'm going to do anything and everything it takes to get our princess back," he shot at him, his voice having pure venom within. He was dead serious and it scared the League for they never thought that he could become more… Batman than he already was. It was frightening to say the least. It was scary to see how broken he was. They were all broken but it seemed as though Bruce took it the hardest if that was possible.

Diana was the soul of the League. She was always there with a smile, willing to listen and do whatever it took for her friends to become happy once again, even if that meant giving up her own personal happiness. She was no other, one of a kind. The world didn't deserve someone as magnificent as her and if she didn't leave Themyscira, where she belonged, she would be well, happy, and alive. She wouldn't be in a casket underneath the Earth.

Bruce shivered when he thought about her slowly decaying, the once beautiful woman reduced to nothing but bones. All bones… Nothing more. It scared him actually and it made him feel more guilty than ever before. Of course he had felt guilt before but never to this extent. It was inhuman. It felt as though the guilt was taking over his body, squeezing the life, the soul out of him. It was crushing him, leaving him breathless.

Quickly retreating with his cape flowing behind him, he went into the Javelin, flying off as he finally let the tears fall. He whipped off his cowl, finding it to be too uncomfortable for him as he made his way down to Earth, knowing exactly where Themyscira was and the fastest way to the Amazon Island. His heart hurt with every beat it took, every beat it took to keep him breathing and every second he was breathing was another second he was alive while she wasn't.

Landing on Paradise Island, he quickly got out, ignoring the Amazons who started to chase after him for they knew that he was going in the direction of the palace. "Man! Get off our island! You have no right to be here!" Came a yell as an Amazon raced towards him, a spear in hand.

He grabbed the spear right before she could stab him with it, not in the mood for any fights. He had put on his cowl again, his tears finally ceasing. "I don't mean any harm," he snapped, flipping her over and placing his foot over her throat to make sure she remained down. "I wish to speak with your queen about your princess."

The crowd of Amazons became quiet. "Are princess is dead… You brought her here! She is dead because of your world! Man's World did this to her! Man's World has cost us our champion, sister, and our princess! You have no right being here!" An Amazon Warrior spoke up and all the rest agreed.

Even Bruce couldn't help but agree with her. "You're right," he replied, his voice laced with fatigue. "My world did do this to her. And I'm trying to get her back so just be grateful that I'm here. I'm going to bring her back, no matter what it takes."

"You're mad," came a soft response. "No mere mortal has ever attempted such a mission and has survived. It's completely ludicrous!"

A small and pained smile formed. "I'm ludicrous," he answered. "And that's why I'm bringing her back. As stupid as I am, I need her in my life and I won't stop at anything, not even your gods themselves to get her back. I will do whatever it takes… Even if that means dying myself to take her place. Now, please, bring me to your queen. I need to see Princess Diana."

Taking aback by his curt and sorrowful speech, they nodded and gave in, bringing him forward to the palace.

"Queen Hippolyta. You have a guest," one of the Amazons in the castle knocked on the door, waiting for Hippolyta to answer.

Hastily wiping away her tears, she stood and headed over, opening the door to see Bruce standing there. She visibly stiffened. "What are you here for? I already told you that I would bury Diana after you left and that was exactly what I did. You have no more purpose to be on this island."

"Yes, I do, your highness," he bowed slightly, always showing respect when it came to royalty even though it seemed like they didn't deserve it at times. He just knew that she was just worried about Themyscira. "I'm here to bring her back…"

"Once one is dead, there is no way to bring them back to life," was the curt response. "You have no chance in bringing her back, Batman. Even if you did, you would have to go through challenges, go through questions and trials to get her back for she's in Tartarus at the moment. Persephone paid me a visit not too long ago. Diana is going to be brought up to Olympus soon… I just don't know how soon."

"Bring me to the Gates of Tartarus then," he demanded a bit more harshly than he had intended. "Please," he added at the end to soften the blow.

Hippolyta's eyes hardened as she stared down at the mere mortal before him. He was willing to do anything to bring Diana back to life? Perhaps he was one to be trusted but still, she wouldn't truly let her guard down. "Follow me," she finally gave in and walked in front of him. She led him down the stairs, coming to the Gates. "I shall open them… But I do not come with you. I must stay on Themyscira and… Batman… Please do your best to bring Diana back. I miss her terribly," she whispered sadly.

Bruce stared into Hippolyta's blue eyes, knowing she spoke the truth. He realized that he wasn't the only one hurting over Diana's death. Everyone was. "I'll try," he responded and then watched as the doors opened before running inside.

Glancing around, all he saw were flames. He had to get past them but he had no way to do so. He didn't have the Batmobile. He didn't have anything. All he had was his grappling hook and there wasn't anything to grab onto. "Dang," he muttered under his breath, pulling his cape over his face to try to get away from the heat.

He slowly entered but then stopped when flames engulfed around him, burning the side of his face. Hissing in pain, he backed away as the flames departed suddenly, disappearing from view. Glancing up, he saw a woman with purple hair and purple eyes. His eyes widened underneath his cowl. "Circe," he spit out in disgust. In her hand was a bright white ball that was floating above the palm of her hand. "What is that?" He asked as he walked closer.

"A soul," was the simple response. "Maybe even the soul you're looking for."

Bruce stood there, standing tall. He then looked closer, seeing how pure the soul truly was. "Diana?" He muttered as he started to walk closer.

"Ah, ah, ah. No can do, Dark Knight," Circe smirked, shutting her hand and the ball disappeared.

Bruce grinded his teeth together in obvious annoyance. "Just give me the dang soul and I'll be on my way Circe. Why do you even have it? Shouldn't Hades have it or something? Isn't he the God of the Underworld?" He spat out, glaring at her through his lenses.

Realization slowly spread over Bruce as he started to think about the events and what was happening. "You killed her!" He abruptly accused.

Circe mock gasped, feigning to be hurt. "You really think that little oh me would do something as horrible as that?" She asked and then smirked. "I was putting her out of her misery, Batman," she stated and Bruce watched as the witch opened her palm. The soul floated up and expanded before it disappeared and in took Diana's place.

The princess fell to the ground, completely limp as her eyes remained closed. Bruce ran to her, taking her in his arms as he held her against his body, gently moving her hair out of her face. There were bruises and cuts on her at almost every inch and the way her eyes were closed showed him how much in pain she was.

"What did you do? She wasn't like this! She didn't have this many injuries," he stated, keeping a gentle grip on her as he kneeled there.

"I'm just showing you what her soul looks like. It's hurt, injured. It's unable to go on." Circe started to walk around Bruce. "She's gone, Batman. And you can't change that."

"Bring me to Hades," he said, standing up with her in his arms. "Hades is her father, or at least he claims to be. Bring me to him."

"Now let's not make any rash decisions," Circe said suddenly, obviously nervous about the demand. "Come on. Just leave it alone, Batman. She's gone. What good can Hades do?" She gulped slightly, watching as he edged closer to her.

"If you weren't behind all this, you shouldn't be so nervous. Take. Me. To. Him!"

"Fine, fine," she gave in. "Follow me," she muttered and led Bruce to the throne room.

The journey there was short and quiet, Circe obviously nervous about the whole ordeal. She hated to admit it but she was terrified of Hades. It wasn't the first time that she had been punished by him. And by targeting his daughter, she knew she was in deep.

Bruce kept his eyes on Diana the whole journey there, holding her and keeping her close to him. His heart pounded painfully in his chest. She was laying there, looking to the world as dead. There was no breathing, no pulse, no heartbeat, nothing. It scared him more than he thought it would.

Finally entering the throne room, Circe started go back away. Hades glanced up, seeing Bruce holding Diana in his arms. "Mortal, why do you hold my daughter?" He asked as he stood, walking over. He looked her over, his eyes narrowing as he caught glimpse of Circe. "She was not supposed to die. It was not her time," he stated simply before he turned to the witch. "You! You dare kill my daughter?!" He bellowed and she cowered behind Bruce. "Do not go to him seeking protection. How many times have we told you to leave Hippolyta and her daughter alone?!" He then turned to Diana, a blue light developing in his hand as he set it inside his daughter. The wounds faded, much to Bruce's belief as her eyes snapped open.

She coughed, breathing heavily as if she couldn't get enough air. Finally coming to her senses, the princess looked up at Bruce, her azure eyes staring at his lenses and he could have swore that she was looking past them and right to his eyes.

Not saying another word, he let Hades to do what he pleased to Circe before heading off, Diana still in his arms. He wasn't going to let her down anytime soon, even if she protested. He was surprised that she wasn't protesting now.

Truth be told, Diana couldn't feel more at peace in Bruce's arms. It was so nice, so comforting and so heartwarming. She breathed in his masculine scent as they made their way out of the pits of Tartarus.

Hippolyta was waiting for them and she watched the Bat come out with her child, her warrior, her little sun and stars. "Diana!" She walked over as Bruce reluctantly set her down. Smiling to himself, he saw Hippolyta throw her arms around her daughter, holding her against her. "Diana, don't ever do that again," she whispered to her, tears in her blue eyes.

Diana gladly returned the hug. "I'm sorry, Mother," she apologized.

The Queen backed away. "Do not be sorry. I should be the one. You are no longer exiled from Themyscira. I don't care what the gods have to say about it. This is your home and you are always welcomed to it."

It was Diana's turn for tears to well up in her own eyes as she hugged Hippolyta once again, more than relieved and more than happy. "Thank you, Mother. You have no idea how much this means to me," she whispered.

Bruce stood, several feet away from them. He was happy for Diana, knowing that she was finally allowed back home. Even though it barely affected him, it was like he had just been given the world when he saw her this happy. It warmed his heart entirely as he watched the ordeal.

"Batman," Hippolyta suddenly addressed him. He stood tall and looked down at her. "Thank you," she stated. "Thank you for bringing my daughter back to me. I cannot thank you enough."

He nodded at her, not knowing what to say now as Diana smirked at him knowingly. "Come on," the princess nodded at Bruce. She gave her mother one last hug before the two flew off back to the Watchtower.

On the ride there, Diana remained quiet. Paradise had been ripped from her but at the moment, she didn't really seem to care. "Are you alright?" Came Bruce's voice.

She was immediately pulled away from her thoughts as she looked up at him. "I'm better now, thank you, Bruce," she admitted softly.

He smiled at her. "You gave me quite the scare there, Diana."

"The Dark Knight? Scared?" She smiled at him and he rolled his eyes under the cowl. "I didn't know that the Dark Knight could get scared."

"Well, he does… And you're the reason to it so congratulations," he teased.

She slapped his arm playfully as they entered the Watchtower.

"Wondy!" Came in Flash's voice as well as Flash as he appeared in front of her, pulling her in for a hug. "You scared us all! Don't you ever do that again!" He scolded, trying to look angry but a smile engulfed his features again. "Oh, Wondy. You're back." He hugged her and she returned the embrace. "Now, about that date," he smiled.

"Wally," came in Bruce's voice. Hearing the edge to it, Flash knew he had to back away.

"Sorry, Bats. I'll see you later, Wondy," he said and took off.

Diana stood there, standing face to face with Bruce as she looked into his blue eyes. Bruce smiled down at her slightly, relieved that she was alright. "I was so worried," he admitted as he took a step to her. "You were actually dead. I thought I would never see you again," he whispered, his voice coming out in a strangled whisper. The princess could hear the fear in his voice.

She didn't even realize she was doing as she placed her lips on Bruce's, kissing him deeply. She remained like that for several seconds before pulling away. "Thank you," she whispered, a pleasant smile on her lips. "For everything."

Bruce looked down at her. "I would do anything for you, Princess. You know that," he murmured gently. "And what are you thanking me for?"

"For going what you went through. You went to Tartarus… You could have been killed. I'm quite surprised that Circe gave up that easily, actually," she replied back thoughtfully. "I was sure she would put up much more of a fight."

"That's what I thought as well but I guess everyone surprises someone one way or another."

Diana smiled slightly. "I know… Just like you did."

Bruce then hesitated, wanting to know something. "What did the Black Mercy grant you?" He asked her.

She looked down, debating whether or not she should tell him. She then gave in. "That I was with you on Themyscira and that we were together… You were going to ask me to marry you," she admitted.

He then smiled a bit. "I do want to ask you that but how about we start slowly?" He suggested. "You and me on a date, perhaps?"

She looked up at him, rather surprised. She then nodded, agreeing. "That would be a perfect start."

 _ **The End**_


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